The present invention is a device which uses a fan to force air over a cold object to cool the air for personal comfort. Various related devices have been developed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,329, issued to Travis, shows in one embodiment a device using multiple chambers containing a frozen gel. In a second embodiment an elongated hollow cylinder contains a cold cylinder. Air can pass through an annular space around the cold object under the force of a fan. The cold object is a freezable jar containing a material such as water. Thin corrugated aluminum baffles are proposed to enhance heat transfer. The fan assembly is under the cylinder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,938, issued to Liu, shows a portable air conditioning unit including multiple separate frozen or cold cooling elements. The device housing rotates on a stand to adjust the air direction. A condensate pan rests on the base of the stand, connected to the unit by a flexible tube. A heavy bearing and lock bolt hold the housing in an angular position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,281, issued to Oliphant et al., shows a motorized cap that fits atop a cup of cold liquid such as an iced drink. The cap is a cylindrical housing that contains batteries and a fan. The fan blows air across the top of the cool liquid and out the top of the cap. The user may drink the liquid through a spout in the same cap. The moving air comes in direct contact with the liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,819, issued to Wong, shows a housing containing batteries, a fan, an air inlet, an air outlet, an ice cube chamber, and an ice melt accumulation area. The air enters the inlet, passes through the ice cubes, and exits the outlet. Outlet slats are individually rotatable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,301, issued to Holcomb, shows a box shaped device including an inner box containing frozen material such as ice, an outer box, and a space between the boxes below and beside the inner box. Air passes below, and then beside the inner box in a duct formed by the two boxes. Air does not directly contact the ice. Drain valves are provided for melted ice and condensate.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,140,590, issued to Gleockler, shows a gas mask like device, where the user draws cool air into the mask through canisters containing ice cubes.
The prior art do not disclose an effective solution for a tabletop personal air cooler. No simple, low cost methods to adjust the airflow direction are shown.
Many prior devices pass air over ice or liquid. These methods will add moisture to the air, which is not desirable for air-cooling. Other devices use coolant within a container. While this will prevent additional moisture in the air stream, condensate will form on the outer surface of the container. This condensate must be stored and/or removed. U.S. Pat. No. 5737938 shows a way to store condensate in a pan outside of the device. The pan is necessarily separate from the main element of the device because the device must rotate to adjust the angle of the outlet air. A self-contained pan would spill its contents if it were within a rotating housing. Further the airflow must not be aimed horizontally or lower since the condensate could not flow out of the housing.
The prior art further do not disclose a unit wherein the interior of the unit can be easily accessed to change cooling elements and to clean the interior. The ability to clean mildew and the like is important when moisture is present within any device.
The present invention includes a housing with an angled, elongated preferably cylindrical air chamber with a fan at the bottom rear, a pivotable outlet grill at the top, and a bottle holding a cold substance such as ice within the cylinder. Moving air is cooled as it passes lengthwise in a space between the bottle exterior and the chamber interior. The ice is separated from the air by the bottle so the air stays relatively dry.
The device of the invention preferably uses bottles containing a freezable liquid, typically water. Two types of bottles may be used. A first specialized bottle can have a mouth that is wide enough to fit common ice cubes. The specialized bottle is preferably the same size as a standard plastic water beverage bottle, except for an enlarged neck and cap area. Either style can work well for the device. In this manner several standard bottles can be frozen in a freezer so that one is always ready for use. But if a freezer is not available to freeze entire bottles, ice may be added to the special bottle. The special bottle allows the cooling device to be used wherever ice is available. However other types of cold objects may be used. For example an electric powered thermoelectric element using the Peltier effect may be used instead of frozen objects.
The present invention is optimized for efficient airflow while still providing an easy way to change the direction of the discharge air. Suited for tabletop use, the device allows the airflow to follow a relatively unbroken path toward the user. The bottle is coaxial within the cylindrical housing, forming an elongated tubular space surrounding the exterior of the bottle, through which the air can flow. The housing provides a generally fixed direction for the airflow, while adjustments to the airflow direction can be made with a rotatable vent grill at the outlet end. The vent grill is supported and held to a position with lightweight components.
The cooling device is optimized to facilitate flow and storage of condensate. Since the air chamber is fixed at an angle the condensate will flow quickly along the bottom of the chamber and into a collection tray. The tray can be entirely enclosed within the housing for a sanitary, integrated and pleasing appearance.
The cooling device includes a base portion and a top portion, with the base being under the bottle and the top being above the bottle. To provide for opening the chamber, the top is separable from the base. In a preferred embodiment the chamber opens in a clamshell manner whereby the top is pivotally attached to the base. Alternately it may be entirely removable from the base. In either case the interior of the chamber is fully exposed and accessible when the chamber is open. The cooling bottle can easily be removed and exchanged for a fresh one. With the bottle removed the chamber interior can be easily cleaned since the surfaces are well exposed. Since the bottle is a simple cylindrical or similar shape it is also easy to clean.